“A place next to you is a matter of principle for us,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stressing that by no means will Greece ever recognize the illegal annexation of Ukrainian areas that Russia is trying to impose with weapons.
“It is a position that is identified with Greece’s timeless interests, ” Mitsotakis underlined. “Because our own country has faced from time-to-time manifestations of an ahistorical revisionism and an aggressive authoritarianism,” he added.
He also stressed that as a country Greece is in principle opposed to any violation of international law and any illegal occupation, adding that a similar situation exists in Cyprus.
The prime minister also mentioned that we are on the side of the Ukrainians because the ties of the two peoples go back many years.
We condemn, he said, unequivocally the war crimes committed and they must be punished by international justice.
Mitsotakis announced that he and the Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a joint statement on Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic path. “We have expressed our solidarity since the beginning, and we will continue to do so,” he underlined.
On his part, Volodymyr Zelensky said that it is a great honor to be in Athens. As he said, he discussed with the Greek prime minister Ukraine’s priorities and what it takes to end Russia’s terrifying invasion.
“We need Greece’s support for the training of our F-16 pilots,” he said, thanking the prime minister and his team for the readiness shown to “help us support our freedom.”
The Ukrainian president added that “we need help to make the grain corridor stable” and explained that it is important that Greek companies are ready to transport Ukrainian grain. “We are counting on it,” he stressed.
Zelensky also referred to Mitsotakis’ commitment to the reconstruction of Odessa and thanked Greece for its support regarding its European integration and the completion of Ukraine’s participation in NATO.
